All You Need Is Love
by YoureFired
Summary: Manny and Spinner kissed...now their feelings are skyrocketing. How can they tough out the unacceptance and complications of being together? PG-13 for language and adultsexual situations.
1. Ashley Ruins a good thing

"Slut."

"Ho."

"Whore."

Manny was walking down the halls of Degrassi, hearing everything she already knew people thought of her. Now that she had kissed Spinner, the names seemed to have gained volume.

"She's easy…I heard she tried to get all up on that gay kid Marco," Heather Sinclair said loudly as Manny passed. _It's not true, _Manny thought, _keep walking. Don't let them know it's getting to you. _

Manny had started hearing the names when her and Craig were having an affair and everyone found out. Now she heard them all the time. Plus, Craig was pissed at her now that he had seen the whole thing that happened between her and Spinner. Unfortunately enough, she was still in love with Craig. But now he would never forgive her. Ever.

"Wow," Liberty said as Manny approached. "You look bad today." Liberty was just about Manny's only friend. Everyone else had more fun talking about her than being with her.

"Don't you think that's a dangerous thing to say?" Manny teased, but she knew Liberty was right. Her jeans were a little baggy and her hair was poofy. She had tried to tame it this morning but she knew it just looked the way she felt. Her shirt kept revealing the straps of her bra. She was as messy her reputation was.

"New lover at 12 o clock," Liberty whispered. Manny turned around and saw Spinner, coming straight at her with his long blondish hair and amazing eyes. _Oh, no, _she begged whatever it was that was giving her butterflies, _Please don't tell me that you hate me. Anything but you hate me. Or that we can never be seen together in public, even just as friends. _

Spinner seemed to be coming at her with a purpose until his long-time girlfriend Paige came and threw her arms around him. "Hey Honeybee," Spinner said non-enthusiastically. He was staring at Manny. His eyes said that he needed to talk to her, but where? There was no where they could talk without gossipers on her back. Everywhere she went they followed her with their eyes. Meeting behind the school would probably be the stupidest idea. She'd corner him later and ask if they could meet at Liberty's house to talk. Liberty wouldn't mind.

"Hey Manny," said JT's voice from behind her.

"AH! JT, you scared me! Don't do that!" Manny looked at her most recent, childish ex with contempt. "And if you're going to ask for a second chance, don't even think about it. I know how you are and you're just not my type."

"Are you sure that everyone isn't your type?" Ashley Kerwin, the girlfriend Craig had cheated on with Manny, passed by and said loud enough for the three of them to hear.

"Leave Manny alone, Ashley," Liberty growled.

"Yeah, just get over it. It's been a year now." JT defended, trying to impress Manny. She had to admit, he had definitely scored points.

"It hasn't been a year for Paige, JT," Ashley sneered. "She doesn't even know yet. She would be crushed if she found out. I hate to be the little birdie who tells her, but…"

"You wouldn't dare, you jealous bitch." Manny spoke up. Anger surged through her like lightning.

"Want to bet?" Ashley walked directly over to Paige and tapped her on the shoulder.


	2. the second moment

"I cant believe this. I truly can not believe this." Spinner said, sitting across from Manny at Liberty's dining room table.

Ashley had told Paige. Paige went ballistic and dumped Spinner. She was in the process of getting Manny kicked off the spirit squad. Thanks to one little moment, Manny's and Spinner's lives were upside down and all wrong.

"Why did she dump you? It was all my fault. It's true the stuff they say about me Spin. It's all true. I'm a slut. I'm easy. But I really liked Craig. I really did." Manny put her head in her hands and heaved a frustrated sigh. She didn't want Spinner to get into trouble. That was unfair for him.

"It wasn't your fault, Manny. It was Ashley's fault. What happened between me and you wasn't any of her business. And you're not a slut, you're not easy. I know you really liked Craig." Spinner said gently. He knew right now Manny was a time bomb. He had to comfort her or she was going to blow up.

"Don't comfort me in order to keep me from blowing up," Manny spat at him. She hated when people tried to protect her when she was angry. Some kid in her Government class called her the Angry Spaniard Manuela Santos. It was mostly to make fun of her but she knew that it was true. She was a time bomb, she was Spanish, and she was the slut Manuela Santos. She hated herself so bad right now, and she wanted to be in Craig's arms, have her hold him like he used to when she was upset.

"Manny, I'm serious. If this is anybody's fault, it's mine. I'm the one who went in for the kiss. If I didn't have feelings for you, none of this would have happened." Spinner realized he had spoken the words he didn't want her to know he used in his head every time he looked at her. That stupid, corny word that therapists and Oprah used. _Feelings. _It sounded like something out of a bad self-help book. _I have feelings for you, Manny._

"Spinner? Did you just…?" Manny ventured, sounding hopeful.

"Like you didn't hear it," Spinner snapped, angry at himself. _Feelings. I said I had feelings for her. I think I'm turning into Marco. _Spinner looked at the table. _Concentrate on the woodwork, Mason. Look at the cheap furniture store pine table. Don't look at her. Do not look at her. _

Spinner felt a soft, warm hand on his. A hand that was nothing like Paige's, yet somehow just as lovely. _Lovely, feelings…there is something seriously wrong with me, _he hated himself at that moment, loving the way Manny's hand felt perfect on his, knowing he was only supposed to feel that way about Paige and her hand.

"Spin, look at me." Spinner looked up. Manny was beautiful, she looked like the normal Manny before she changed, cute and understanding, putting her hair into pigtails, hanging out with Emma and Toby. Not the Manny the whole school had come to know, with the crop tops and the low-rider jeans fashioned perfectly to show off her underwear.

"You try too hard to be someone you're not," Spinner choked out. "You don't have to be the way you are Manny. You think you're sexy because of the way you dress? That's slut sexy, Manny. What makes you sexy right now is that you're beautiful. You're the Manny you used to be."

She took her hand away, making Spinner regret everything he had just said. He loved the way her hand had felt on hers.

"Spinner, I don't think you understand. That slut sexy thing is me, okay? That's who I am. I'm the Manny Santos who was having sex with Craig Manning when he had a girlfriend. I'm the Manny Santos who loves it when guys stare at her butt. I'm the Manny Santos who, from time to time, slips up and shows the old innocent Manny that no one noticed!" She yelled and began to cry.

Spinner looked at her, reached over and wiped a tear from her cheek. "And I'm the Spinner Mason who likes whatever Manny Santos it is he is seeing right now. I don't care who you are, Manny. I like you. I really, truly do."

Manny looked at him, tears still lining the sides of her face, and she saw that he truly meant it. It was it, the opportune moment that neither could miss.

Spinner was the first to lean farther in. Manny did the same, hesitantly at first, but then when their lips touched, it was even better than the first time, with more meaning.


	3. late night conversations

Manny was lying on her bed, staring at the phone.

She knew Emma would be home, but would she be happy for her? Would she want to hear from Manny? Emma was friends with Paige, just as Manny had been before. Would she think it was too soon?

Manny knew after that kiss that Spinner was it. The one. Spinner was the one. After all those empty times having sex with Craig that she thought meant something, she had found Spinner. Emma and her hadn't been getting along lately, but Manny thought that maybe Emma would go for being friends again if she knew that Manny had found a reason to settle down. Maybe Spinner and Paige had just broken up, but he still didn't have a girlfriend. He wasn't Craig: The Recurrence or anything.

Looking at the clock, Manny saw that she only had about 10 minutes to catch Emma before she went to bed. "Decide quickly," she said to herself in the dark. She spent five minutes weighing the pros and cons until the phone rang.

Manny dove for it. "Hello?" She answered eagerly.

"Hey, kiddo," Spinner's voice floated over the line, easing Manny into a deep comfort she had never felt before.

"Hey, Spin. What's up?"

"I missed you already."

"Really? Little old me?"

"Yeah. I was thinking, and I realized that we should keep this quiet for awhile. We don't want your reputation to just combust. Liberty knows. And I can tell Marco. For now." Spinner suggested. Manny was floored. He wanted to protect her! No guy had ever wanted to protect her before.

She also realized that this ruled out the decision she was trying to make of calling Emma. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Spinner was turning her life right-side up again. It was the most beautiful feeling she had ever encountered in the whole range of human emotion that she had ever dealt with.

"That's a good idea, Spin. Thanks." Manny liked Marco and she knew he would keep it a secret. He didn't like Manny too much, but he was a really nice guy. He knew he should be accepting of everyone, since he was gay, and otherwise it would be throwing stones at other people's houses when his own was made of glass.

"No problem, babe. I just wanted to say sweet dreams."

"You too, Spin. I miss you."

"I miss you too, I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you."


End file.
